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1. Some Great Sales Going on at TIAS.com this week!
2. Sell With Us!
3. This Week's Question & Answers
4. This Week's Antique News
5. Your Classifieds
6. Newly listed items
7. Funny Old Stuff
8. Wanted ads. Can you help?
9. A Vintage Recipe
10. A Vintage Recipe Request from a Reader
11. New On line Merchants
12. Helpful Resources For Collectors
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1. Some Great Sales Going on at TIAS.com this week!

Our merchants are posting some really great sales this week. Take a look at the latest sales, new merchandise and special offers at: http://tias.com/news/
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2.Sell With Us!
In 2011 TIAS won the About.com "Readers Choice" award as the best place to buy antiques & collectibles online. We get about 700,000 customers a month. Our customers love TIAS because we guarantee their purchase for up to $500 and have a toll free number to contact customer support on our home page. Plus we've been around for almost 17 years.

We are looking for a few great antique dealers to join us. If you want to open your very own online antiques & collectibles shop at TIAS.com, take a look at http://www.MakeAShop.com or give me a call at 1-888-653-7883 .....Phil
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3. This Week's Question
Every week we post stories, comments and survey results from our readers

COME AND "LIKE" US ON Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques
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This weeks request was to tell us your favorite story about how you acquired one item in your collection. Half the fun of collecting is finding the items you collect and every item in every collection has a story about how it was found. So what we were looking for from you, is the most interesting story you have about one item in your collection.

The first 10 stories I get this week will receive one of these great little gadgets. See: http://youtu.be/MLofj1Ca6TM When you submit your story, make sure to include you mailing address so that we can send you your gift.

Here is what we received this week...
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The amount of things i collect is quite embarrassing, but here is a story behind one of my collections:

It's always made me sad to see old family photographs up for sale at an auction or in an antique store, so much so that I had the bad habit of buying just about every one I could find. This caused two problems--I was spending a lot of money AND i was running out of room to put the old pictures. So I decided to narrow my collection. I had unknowingly gravitated towards photos with children in them, and i was very fond of classroom pictures. . .you know the type, where a one room schoolhouse lines the kids up smallest to tallest and some kids are barefoot and others have on their 'Sunday best'. I noticed that in just about every such picture I owned, there would be a streak or blob where a kid should be. I thought this an unusual phenomenon until one day when i was at an antique show and was at a booth that had dozens of these old photos for sale. The proprietor laughed when I mentioned it, pulling out several that he had with those same mysterious blobs. As it turned out, back in the day, the lens had to stay open for quite some time in order for the exposure to take, so the photographer would instruct the kids that they could not move a muscle until he said so. Of course, inevitably, some class clown would move, despite the warning, and that's where you'd see the blob. Another fun thing about those old photos, most of the kids look very grim, but there is always one wag who is grinning from ear to ear, or looking at someone else, or has his eyes tightly closed. You simply cannot look at these old photos and not wonder what sort of butt blistering the troublemaker got when his mom saw the messed-up shot!

And, here is my story about how I started a collection for someone else:
In the mid 90s, I had a booth in a large antique mall. I also worked full time selling cars, so the booth was more like a fun-but-not-very-lucrative hobby. When i got pregnant with my son, I realized i would have to give something up, so I decided to close the booth down. My younger sister went with me to the mall to pack it up and as she was helping me, she saw an owl cookie jar that she positively thought was the ugliest thing she had ever seen. At first i was insulted about the way she was carrying on about it, but then I decided to get even and give it to her for Christmas. Oh, when she opened the box she positively howled! Well, that next summer I was at a flea market and what do I see but that same ugly cookie jar. However, this one is wearing yellow suspenders, as opposed to the red the one I'd given to her for Christmas. What else could I do but buy it, and give it to her that following Christmas. It was the hit of the party! The following year, I found yet another owl cookie jar, and i wrapped it up in two different boxes. Sister picked up a box and said, "There BETTER not be an owl cookie jar in here!!" "There isn't!" I said. And there was not. There was a LID to an owl cookie jar in there. . . Somehow, i think somewhere around cookie jar number eight or nine, my sister started embracing owls instead of hating them, and now she has a huge owl collection--ashtrays, salt and peppers, jewelry, figurines and yes, cookie jars. Ali K

-- Another Story--

Dear Phil, The story from the woman who found an old silver spoon reminded me of my story. When I was 12 our family went together and bought my Mum a silver chest filled with a set of Community plated silver . I thought they were wonderful but as I looked them over I held up a serving spoon and asked mother what this was. She said it was a table spoon or serving spoon. I asked why it was shaped so funny and she started to laugh. All my mother's spoons were worn to a shape like a spoon with half it's end off from stirring a pot. They were only good if you were right handed but were certainly easy to stir the edge of a pot. I now have one of my grandmother's spoons mounted in a frame on the end of my cupboards to remind me that I was 12 yrs old before I knew the actual shape of a serving spoon. Margaret, Saskatchewan

--Another Story--

Back in 1992 our youngest daughter, Amy, told us she was getting married in Erie, PA. What?? We live in Bethlehem, PA---clearly at the eastern end of the state. Her fiancée would make the wedding plans. Right!!! When did you ever hear of an Italian mother relinquishing that duty, especially if we were paying for the reception? No way! So my husband and I took a week of vacation and drove the near 8 hours to Erie so we could look for reception facilities. We first went to the place the groom wanted. Hello--MANY rain soaked tiles on the ceiling, dirty, dirty floors and an even worse ladies room, let alone the dumpsters by the only entrance and we were done with that place!!! We continued our search and found an old train depot, a yummy baker and were working on a band when we had to drive several hours to meet our daughter who had arranged to join us. While wasting time waiting for her plane, we happened upon an antique shop run by the dearest ladies. My husband collects oil lamps and they had oodles of lamps. We were about to leave when I spied some small teapot looking items on another table. They fascinated me as some had a red cross on them. Hmm! What could they be? One of the gracious ladies was a retired nurse and had been in WWII. She spoke of being in the European theater of the war and how while in England and France had seen similar "pots." She told me that they were invalid feeders and were used to help ill people take nourishment--including wee babes. She was speaking to a nurse--me. How could I not be interested in collecting such an item. I did not buy one of her feeders as they were priced far more than I could manage, however over the years I have managed to collect a number of invalid feeders and spoons. I also joined ACIF--The American Collectors of Infant Feeders. I have not been active in the group lately but they are a great group of people who are always willing to share information and stories.
Now to the end of the story: after all the effort, deposits and such the groom sent our daughter an "Dear John" letter. We could not have been more thrilled ! - Anne, Bethlehem, PA
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If you have a story to share, please email it to Phil@tias.com and if we include it in an upcoming issue, we'll send you one of these http://youtu.be/MLofj1Ca6TM
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Do you have antiques or collectibles you are just itching to sell? A simple classified ad in this newsletter might just be your answer. Over 16,000 readers subscribe to this newsletter. One of them just might be able to help you out. Place your ad today at: http://tinyurl.com/39eulu

7, Funny Old Stuff
This is our humor section. These are humorous family stories and comments that are sent in by readers. If you have a submission you would like to share, please send it to newsletter@tias.com and we may run it in the next issue.
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Dawn’s story made me laugh and I remembered a story my mum used to tell me about when she was about 7 and her brother, little Fred was 3, growing up in Portsmouth, UK. It was 1918, the beginning of WW1 and times were hard. My grandfather was stage manager of a local theatre and wages were poor, so they had to play with what they could find. One day they had a special treat and visited the funfair where they were fascinated by the ‘Test your Strength’ machine – where men hit the platform with a large hammer to try and make the ball rise to hit the big bell at the top!

Next day my mum, who was always inventive, decided to build a similar contraption – with a piece of wood balanced on a piece of pipe, a brick on one end and a shovel to bash the other end (to make the brick fly upwards!). She demonstrated this to little Fred and needless to say the brick flew off – straight into their kitchen window! My grandfather charged into the garden and demanded to know what was going on! My mum told him it was the Lillywhite boys who lived over the back! My grandfather asked little Fred if that was the truth and unfortunately little Fred, who could never lie successfully like his big sister – bit his bottom lip, looked up at his dad with eyes full of tears and with such a guilty look, shook his head! Mum ended up being sent to her room with a smacked bottom ....and poor little Fred had to steer well clear of her for a few days!!! They were always very close to each other however - my mum died just over 4 years ago aged 91 and ‘little Fred’ followed her 2 years later aged 89! How I miss the stories they used to tell about all the mischief my mum got up to and how little Fred always managed to give the game away! Sheena Brown
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Do you have a funny family story you would like to share? Make someone feel good by sharing it with us. Send it to newsletter@tias.com and we may publish it here.
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One of our readers - David - requested recipes for "smore brownies". We received the following...
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Hi David. This is the recipe I've been using for S'mores Brownies. I thought you might have been referring to Mississippi Mud Brownies until you mentioned graham crackers. If this isn't like what you remember, maybe the other will.

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 8x8-inch pan with foil so it hangs over the edges a bit. Spray with nonstick spray. (You can use 9x9-inch pan, but baking time might need slight decrease and your end result will be a thinner brownie).

2. Prepare crust: In a medium bowl, mix butter with crumbs, sugar and salt. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Prepare the brownie: Place butter and chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Melt for 1 minute; stir. Melt another minute; stir. Keep microwaving at 1 minute intervals until mixture is completely melted. (Alternately, you can melt this mixture in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water on the stove). Add sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate and mix together. Add eggs and beat vigorously until you see a thick and glossy batter. Stir in flour and mix just until incorporated. Pour batter over the baked crust. Bake until top is set and toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, 35 to 40 minutes (you don't want to overbake the brownie- a little gooey inside is good).

5. Place your pan of brownies back into the oven (they should be 6 to 8 inches away from the heating element). Toast under the broiler until golden- KEEP AN EYE ON IT- it can go from golden to burned in a matter of seconds. 1 to 2 minutes under the broiler should be plenty.

6. Cool for a few minutes, then use foil to remove brownies from the pan and set on a cutting board. Carefully pull the sides of the foil away from the marshmallows and brownies. Cut brownies into 12 squares. Helpful tip: Use a large, WET & SHARP KNIFE to cut the brownies. Slice through the brownie, then clean the knife and slice through again with a clean, wet knife. Keep cleaning off the knife after each cut for the cleanest cuts. For a quick version you can use a brownie mix. Lots of luck! Patty TN

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan. Line the pan with foil, leaving some overhang, and then butter the foil; set aside.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt, mixing well. Add the melted butter and, using a fork, toss until the entire mixture is moist. Dump the graham cracker mixture into the prepared baking pan, pressing it into an even layer. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, prepare your brownie recipe. Pour the brownie batter over the cooked graham cracker crust, spreading it into an even layer. Bake the brownies according to the directions.
4. As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, switch the oven to broil. Pour the bag of mini marshmallows onto the brownies, covering it in an even layer. Pop the pan back in the oven for a few minutes. Keep a close eye on them – you want them to start to char so you get that s’mores flavor, but don’t want to completely burn them.
5. As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, top the marshmallow layer with the pieces of graham cracker, pressing down slightly so that the pieces of graham cracker get nestled into the marshmallow.
6. Cool completely and then cut into squares. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.Carol Thomas --Cullman,AL
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Buy a Vintage Kitchen collectible from us. We've got lots of them here: http://www.tias.com/showcase/1/Kitchen_Collectibles/1.html
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10. A vintage recipe request from a reader
As with collectibles, people also have very strong feelings about foods from their past. Sometimes these special recipes get lost. This section is to help people who are looking for lost recipes from their past. If you submit a request, please include the geographical region where you had this recipe.
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I have been looking for a recipe for many years any years. It only had three ingredients. A graham crust, strawberry jello partially chilled. Stir in 1 can of evaporated milk that has be refrigerated. I rememer my mother put crust in the bottom of the pan. She chilled the can milk and whipped it up like whip cream She then mixed the jello, put it in the fridge to set. I have tried this many times but it never works out. Am leaving somethin out or doing it wrong. I woud appreciate any info old desert. Thanks, Bonnie
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If you can help this reader with this recipe, please forward it to recipes@tias.com . If you have a vintage recipe request send it to recipes@tias.com and we might just publish it here.
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Be sure to check out our vintage kitchen collectibles section online at: http://www.tias.com/showcase/1/Kitchen_Collectibles/1.html
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11. New Online Merchants
Be sure to check out all of the fresh inventory offered by these new merchants that just opened store at TIAS.com .....
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Abby's Crate
http://tias.com/stores/thecrate
Abby's Crate is filled with quality antiques, collectibles, vintage jewelry and treasures. Items are added weekly so please check back often. Postcards and depression glass are specialties. We accept Visa or Mastercard through Paypal. Money back guarantee within 7 days.

Big Mama's Stuff
http://tias.com/stores/woodall
Welcome to Big Mama's Stuff where unique treasures can be found, some antiques some collectibles. Her era was the late 18th century to the mid 19th. Big Mama's specialty is dolls. So stop and shop at Big Mama's.

My Grandma's Treasures
http://tias.com/stores/grandmatreasure
Mother and daughter business. Our inventory includes: Fire King, depression glass, carnival glass, Pyrex and new items from Burton and Burton. We have a 7 day money back guarantee and we accept Paypal, money orders or personal checks.

Doe Run Antiques & Collectibles
http://tias.com/stores/armaule
We currently offer Weller, Hull, Rookwood, Roseville, Stangl, Shawnee Pottery and other unique antiques & collectibles. Stop by our store and see if we have something you can't live without!

Moon Mandrake
http://www.tias.com/stores/moonmandrake
Moon Mandrake combines antiques, vintage items and collectibles to make browsing an adventure! Merchandise ranges from 1830's antiques to current collectibles -- from places like Ireland, Finland, France and of course here in America.
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